Slytherin Serpents, Talking to Animals (was Re:The Falling-Out )

[imamommy at sbcglobal.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 125989


Thanks, Steve!  This was a very well-written, plausible explanation.

I have another question for you, or anyone who's got an idea:  why do 
you suppose Slytherin chose the snake, a long-standing representation 
of evil, as his mascot, apart from an uncanny similarity to his 
name?  We know he was a Parselmouth, and while I'm disinclined to 
think every Parselmouth is inherently evil, it is interesting to me 
that this should be a symbol he became so connected with.  It makes 
sense for a Parselmouth to choose a basilisk as a defensive tactic, 
as it's something he or she can control, but why the close ties with 
serpents in general?

This raises another question about magical (and non-magical) 
animals.  Why is it that certain animals (eg. owls, phoenixes, and 
certain cats) are able to understand human language, and able to 
express certain communication to their owners, while others are not?  
IMO, the biggest drawback to having a rat or a toad as a pet 
(familiar) seems to be a failure to communicate.  (To be fair, the 
only rat I know of turned out to be a murdering animagus, and 
Neville's got the only toad I know of and I'm not sure he could keep 
a slug form running away, no disrespect intended.)  Are there any 
witches or wizards who have the gift of speaking to different kinds 
of animals besides snakes?  And where, and why, does Parseltongue 
originate from.  There must be some practical, natural reason why 
some wizards, albeit a few, need to communicate with this species.

Hmmm....
imamommy--- 

 
> bboyminn:
> 
> This has been discussed on and off on various occassions, but it is 
a
> good question because I think many people have a very distorted idea
> of what went on way back then, and an even more distorted idea about
> Salazar Slytherin.
> 
> First, the selection of students by some characteristic (Smart, 
Brave,
> Hardworking/Loyal, Ambitious) is a separate issue from why the
> Founders had a falling out.
> 
> In the mythology of wizards, in the ancient past, it has always been
> common for wizard to take on several apprentices to train 
personally.
> The stories usually go something like a strange man visits a very 
very
>  very poor family and agrees to pay the family a significant sum of
> money in return for taking a specific one of their sons on as an
> apprentice. Part of the promise of apprenticeship, is that the son
> will be well taken care of and given a good education. In ancient
> times, hardly anyone was educated, so this was no small promise.
> 
> Naturally, each wizard would look for certain characteristics in the
> enchanted boys they took on as apprentices. Back in the time of
> apprentices, I suspect there were far more magical children than 
were
> ever found and apprenticed by wizards.
> 
> Given that Hogwarts was founded during a time of great oppression 
and
> persecution of wizards, the apprentice method had probably not only
> become impractical but dangerous. In addition, I'm sure the Founders
> saw that under the old method, they simply could not train all the
> available magical children. So, the idea of a central common school
> for all magical children was born.
> 
> The House characteristics were simply a method for the Founders to
> select the students that would do best under their tutelage; very 
much
> as they had always done under the Apprentice system but with a 
greater
> number of student. Given that Helga Hufflepuff wasn't too particular
> about her students, they were assured that all students would get an
> adequate education.
> 
> The split between the Founders did not come because of student House
> characteristics, but because of Slytherins distrust of muggles, and
> therefore muggle-borns. Remember that wizards at this time in 
history
> were greatly persecuted by muggles. If muggles had found out about
> Hogwarts, it would have been a disaster of unprecidented 
proportion. 
> 
> It's one thing for each founders to each have their own separate
> castle somewhere at which to train their own personal apprentices, 
but
> for every available magical child as well as the four greatest 
wizards
> of the age to all be at one location at the same time is a recipe 
for
> a massacre.
> 
> Now to one very important point, we have NO real evidence that
> Slytherin was the pureblood-Nazi he is made out to be. All we really
> know is that he didn't trust muggles, and given the times and
> circumstances, that distrust was well founded, and note again, the
> stakes were very high if anything went wrong.
> 
> So, I can easily see how Salazar wanted to safely restrict Hogwarts
> students to those of magical ancestry. It's the only way they could 
be
> sure that the school would be safe from betrayal and attack. Of
> course, the other, more open minded more liberal, Founders thought
> that muggle-borns would not betray the school because in doing so 
they
> would betray themselve by revealing their own magical ability to the
> muggle authorities. Both very reasonable and justifiable positions.
> 
> People, at later points in history, have taken Slytherins very
> justified distrust of muggles, and used that as a foundation,
> expanding it into some overblown pureblood mania. This is standard
> operating procedure for tyrants who are trying to grab power. You 
take
> the power of a famous person's name (validity by association), twist
> and pervert his doctrine to your own ends (gee, that seems to make
> sense), and given the masses an enemy to hate (Jews, Americans,
> Blacks, muggles, take your pick) and to blame all their troubles on.
> 
> We do know how people have perverted Salazar's beliefs, but we don't
> really know what his own personal beliefs were other than he,
> rightfully so, did not trust muggles. 
> 
> I have no problem seeing the conflict over the admittance of
> muggle-born students escalating to the level it apparently did. 
There
> was a lot at stake, and the consequences of a mistake were grave
> indeed. Ultimatley, Slytherin saw that he was out numbered and could
> not win, so he was face with warring with people he once counted as
> friends, or leaving the school. I think, in leaving the school,
> Salazar did a very noble and selfless thing.
> 
> Not saying I'm right, but that's how I see it.
> 
> Steve/bboyminn